Camera gun



Jan. 5', 1954 C. M. THRASHER CAMERA GUN 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 25, 1950 Gttorneg atented jam. 5,

2, 64,797 ('EQMERA GUN Chester Thrasher, Paulding, Ohio .ifiijiiciititii has; 25, 1950, Serial No. 181,500 eels-his. (01. 95-12) I This invention relates to a. camera-gunbut more particularly to the combination of a conventional firearm and a conventional'camera. lhe primary object of the invention is the. p: vision of a camera in combination with a firearm for the purpose ortaking a picture when the firearm is discharged, ofthe object fired at.

Another object oft'he'i'nvention is the provision gun and camera are of conventional form and which are adaptable by very minor structural alterations for combination with one another,

A still further objectof the invention is'the provision of a camera-gun in which the camera may be quickly and easily combined with the gun or removed therefrom'for conventional manual operation.

A still further object of the invention is the Y.

provision of novel means for attaching a camera to a firearm andproviding for easy and rapid adjustment of the camera in respect to the firearm whereby the camera can be sighted or perfectly aligned with the bore of the firearm.

Other objects and advantages of the invention together with novel features of construction and operation thereof will appear from the following description when read in the light of the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a View in front elevation of the firearm and camera, the camera carrying box being shown in vertical section.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, all of the parts however being shown in full line.

Fig. 3 isaview inside elevation-theouter end only of the firearmbarrel beingshown.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view through the top half of the camera carrying box.

Fig. 5 is a bottom view of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is an enlargedlongitudinal sectional-view through the outer endofthe firearm barrel;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of one of the camera box stop lugs. 4 e

The drawings illustrate a combination between a rifle and a camera but it is 'to be understood that the camera can beassociated with a pistol. or any other type of firearm. The outerend; only of a barrel A of airifie' is 'illustrated an d this barrel conventional all respctswith the brack t exceptionethat on its bottom it is externally provided with spaced apart transversally extending wedge shaped grooves I and 2 with a passageway 3 inner-connecting the bottom of the groove with the inside of the bore 4 of the barrel.

The camera B is of a conventional type and is of rectangular configuration. It is provided with a lens 5 and ashutter, not shown, whichis manually set for operation by a cooking lever ,6 releasable by a trigger lever 1. The film within the camera is wound manually by operation of an externally positioned knob or handle 8. This,

camera is conventional in every respect with the exception that the normally round outer, end of the trigger lever is milled or otherwise reduced or removed to provide a diagonally extending outerface9.- we I e In amanner hereinafter to be more specifi- -f cally described,- the camera is supported beneath thebottom of the firearm barrel by a box composed of an upper portion C and a lower portion D. The upper and lower portions of the box telescope with the walls of the upper portion being exterior of the walls of the lower portion;

The upper box portion is supported from the gun barrel and thelower box portion is attach"- able and detachable from the upper portion and adjustable in respect to the upper portion;

A pair. of brackets or lugs E and F secure the upper box portion to the gun barrel. The front box bracket F is suitably secured in thebox'top and" has an upper outer wedge shaped end l6 adapted to slideably engagethe front slot 2 of the barrel. The lower end ofthebracket is disposed within the top'and' terminates in a slanted; or oblique end IT. This ing bore: I8 the upper end l 9 of which comm'uni cates' with the barrel passageway '3 while its lower, endZll isopen. and terminates in the'obliquelow'er end ll of the bracket. Atitsunder side and adjacent to eachofits'side walls the top is provided with a; pair of downwardly: extending spring arms 2;}; and 22 suitably secured the reception of the lens end 5 0f the camera.

detachably gun barrel. The bracket E comprises a leg l0 detachably and is provided with aalongitudinally.extend The bottom 21 of the lower portion D of the camera carrying box is provided with the elongated slot 28 for the passage of the cooking lever B and an opening 29 for the passageway of the film winding knob 8. The box front and rear walls 30 and 3| adjacent their upper ends are each provided with a pair of lugs 32 and 32a and 33 and 3301. respectively, the top ends of which, see Figs. 2 and 3, abut the lower ends 34 and 35 of the front and rear walls 25 and 25a of the upper box portion C to limit the degree to which the bottom portion of the box can telescope the upper portion of the box. are secured to the lower box portion by screws 38 or the like. The lugs 33 and 33a. are similarly secured to the box by screws 39 but to provide ad-.

justability of the rear 'end of the box portion these lugs are provided with elongated slots M for the reception of the screws.

A pair of straps G and H detachably secure the lower box portion in the upper box portion. These straps are positioned at the opposite sides of the box and have their lower ends 4! provided with slots 42 through which extend the screw 43. This construction provides for adjustability of the straps vertically in respect to the lower box portion D. The upper ends 64 of the straps are provided with a conventional resilient fastener which snaps into sockets 45a provided in the side walls 45 and 4B of the upper box portion C.

. When it is desired to utilize the camera with the gun the camera is positioned in the carrying box in the manner illustrated in Fig. 1. The cocking lever and the film winding knob extend through the box bottom 21. The springs 2| and 22 hold the camera firmly in position. The box bracket wedge shaped ends are engaged with the wedge shaped grooves in the gun barrel. The camera lens is properly and perfectly aligned by utilizing the adjustable features which have been described. Elevation of the camera lens is obtained by proper setting of the lugs 33 and 33 and also by shortening or lengthening the effective lengths of the straps G and H. Windage or transverse adjustment of the camera is obtained through the adjustability of the bracket E with respect to the box.

After the camera has once been adjusted it would normally remain properly adjusted and can be removed from association with the firearm by merely releasing the upper ends of the straps G and H. The camera can be re-associated with the firearm just as easily and rapidly. If it is desired not to use the camera again in the near future with the firearm it can be removed by disengaging the brackets E and F from the firearm barrel but this mode of procedure would not ordinarily be followed and additionally would be more difiicult because a very tight fit is provided between the brackets and the barrel slots or grooves.

With the camera properly adjusted and in place in association with the firearm the operation is as follows: The camera lens is cocked by manual operation of the cooking lever. This operation moves the oblique end 9 of the trigger lever into face to face abutment with the oblique lower end I! of the bracket F. Upon discharge or firing of the firearm the pressure in its barrel or bore 4 travels downwardly through the bracket passageway 20 and exerts a pressure on the trigger lever so as to release the cooked shutter thus exposing the film in the camera and taking a picture of the object shot at. A repetition of the operation can be had as long as there is unexposed film in the camera by merely manually The lugs 32 and 32a 4 winding the film and manually setting the cocking lever.

It will be seen and understood that in addition to taking a picture of the object shot at the picture will disclose aiming errors and faults of the firearm user or operator.

Specific departures from the construction illustrated can be made without departing from the inventive concept.

What I claim is:

1. A device of the character described comprising, a firearm including a barrel having a bore, a housing comprising quickly attachable and detachable upper and lower sections, the upper housing portion being supported from the underside of the barrel, a camera in the housing and adapted to taking a picture of an object aimed at by the firearm, the camera including a lens and a shutter associated therewith, a shutter operating mechanism including a cooking lever and a release trigger, an open ended conduit having one end in communication with the barrel bore and its other and escape end terminating in the housing and adapted to carrying off pressure generatedin the barrel bore upon the discharge of the firearm, and the shutter releasing trigger being disposed in abutment with the escape end of the conduit when the shutter operating mechanism is in a cooked position.

2. A construction as defined in claim 1 wherein, the housing is selectively adjustable in a horizontal plane transverse the barrel bore and the lower housing section being selectively vertically adjustable in respect to the upper housing section, whereby the camera can be perfectly aligned with the bore of the firearm.

3. A construction as defined in claim 1 wherein,. the escape end of the conduit has an obliquely disposed face, and the shutter releasin trigger being provided with an obliquely disposed face for abutment with the escape end of the conduit.

4. A construction as defined in claim 1 wherein, the upper section of the housing is supported by a pair of brackets having outer wedge shaped ends, and the barrel bottom being provided with wedge shaped grooves adapted to slideably receive the outer ends of the brackets.

5. A deviceof the character described comprising, a firearm including a barrel having a longitudinal bore for the passage of the projectile, the outer face of the under side of the barrel being provided with a pair of spaced transversely extending slots, a housing having a camera therein, the housing being provided with a pair of legs adapted to slidably engage the barrel slots, the camera including a lens and a shutter associated therewith and a shutter operating mechanism including a cooking lever and a releasing trigger, the barrel bore being provided with an escape passageway for the pressure generated in the bore upon the firing of the firearm, said passageway having its outer end terminating in one of said barrel slots, one of said camera housing legs provided with a passageway registering with the bore escape passageway. said leg extending into the camera housing, and the shutter releasing trigger being disposed in the path of travel of pressure escaping from the leg passageway.

6. A device of the character described comprising, a firearm including a barrel having a longitudinal bore for the passage of the projectile, the outer face of the under side of the barrel being provided with a pair of spaced transversely extending slots, a housing having a camera therein, the housing being provided with a pair of legs adapted to slidably engage the barrel slots, the camera including a lens and a shutter associated therewith and a shutter operating mechanism including a cooking lever and a releasing trigger, the housing legs being adjustable transverse the housing to provide selective adjustment of the housing in a horizontal plane transverse the barrel bore, the housing comprising upper and lower detachable sections, the rear end of the lower housing section being vertically adjustable in respect to the upper housing section for raising and lowering the rear end of the camera, the barrel bore being provided with an escape passageway for the pressure generated in the bore upon the firing of the firearm, one of said housing legs being provided with a passageway communicating with said escape passageway and having an outlet end disposed within the housing, and the shutter releasing trigger being disposed in the path of travel of pressure escaping from the outlet end of the leg passageway.

7. A device of the character described comprising, a firearm including a barrel having a longitudinal bore for the passage of the projectile, the outer face of the underside of the barrel being provided with a pair of spaced transversely extending slots, a housing having a camera therein, the housing being provided with a pair of legs adapted to slidably engage the barrel slots, the camera including a lens and a shutter associated therewith and a shutter operating mechanism including a cocking lever and a releasing trigger, the barrel bore being provided with an escape passageway for the pressure generated in the bore upon the firing of the firearm, an open ended conduit having one end in communication with the barrel bore escape passageway and its other and escape end terminating in the housing, and the shutter releasing trigger abutting the escape end of the conduit when the shutter operating mechanism is cooked.

8. A device of the character described comprising, a firearm including a barrel having a longitudinal bore for the passage of the projectile, the outer face of the underside of the barrel being provided with a pair of spaced transversely extending slots, a housing having a camera therein, the housing being provided with a pair of legs adapted to slidably engage the barrel slots, the housing legs being adjustable transverse the housing to provide selective adjustment of the housing in a horizontal plane transverse the bar rel bore, the housing comprising upper and lower detachable sections, the rear end of the lower housing section being vertically adjustable in respect to the upper housing section for raising and lowering the rear end of the camera, the shutter cocking lever extending outwardly beyond the housing for manual operation, the shutter releasing trigger being disposed in the housing, and means conducting pressure generated in the firearm bore upon the firing of the firearm to the releasing trigger for operating the same upon the firing of th firearm.

9. A device of the character described comprising, a firearm including a barrel having a bore, a housing supported from the underside of the barrel, a camera in the housing and adapted to taking a picture of an object aimed at by the firearm, a camera including a lens and a shutter associated therewith, a shutter operating mechanism including a cocking lever and a release trigger, an open ended conduit having one end in communication with the barrel bore and its other and escape end terminating in the housing and adapted to carrying off pressure generated in the barrel bore upon the discharge of the firearm, the shutter releasing trigger being disposed in abutment with the escape end of the conduit when the shutter operating mechanism is in a cooked position, and means making the housing selectively adjustable in a horizontal plane transverse the barrel bore.

CHESTER M. THRASHER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

